


Soft and Tough

by OakenDurinsons



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Dating, Embarrassment, F/M, ME3-post ME3, Marriage, Romance, Shakarian baby, first name, human-turian baby, turian baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 04:02:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10428690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OakenDurinsons/pseuds/OakenDurinsons
Summary: One of my favorite headcanons is that Garrus honestly has no idea what his girlfriend's first name is.





	1. Chapter 1

It all started one morning when Shepard was getting out of bed, leaving her Turian boyfriend groggily behind her.

"Sheppparrrrdddd," He moaned as he reached towards her, trying to coax her back into bed.

"Garrusssss..." she said with a chuckle and a smile, giving him a peck on the mandible as Garrus wrapped his arm around her and pulling her on top of him. He would never get used to how soft her body is as he pressed against her and rubbed her back with his talons.

"I gotta get dressed!" The commander replied with a giggle. It was so rare to see her like this, smiling and laughing. It's not that she was unhappy most of the time; she just tended to be careful about what side she showed to different people.

"Alright, I will release the hostage," he groaned as he let her go. "Can I at least join you in the shower?"

"If you're fast enough getting up," she jogged into the bathroom and turned on the shower, shedding her baggy t-shirt and the underwear Garrus loved so much. He thinks he remembers her calling them boy-shorts, but that was certainly a confusing name. He slowly followed Shepard into the bathroom, shedding his boxer-briefs. 

Shepard stepped into the shower, giving Garrus a coy look. Garrus joined her wincing. "Why do you always have the water so cold?"

"Well it's not like I have an exoskeleton," Shepard replied, starting her routine. 

Everything about her puzzled Garrus. Her curly hair turned darker as it got wet, sticking closer to her scalp. Her pale skin also turned pink as the 'warm' water touched her. She seemed to enjoy it as Garrus began to scratch her back. To be honest, Garrus didn't need to shower much; his exoskeleton didn't allow him to sweat very often, and he didn't have any hair to speak of. But, after the activities they partook in last night, it made sense to clean off some of the fluids they both produced. 

After they finished cleaning up, Garrus lightly nipped at Shepard's neck and ears, letting his rough tongue gently tease her. 

"Garrus... we both have to get ready for work." She said, and Garrus could almost hear her smile. 

"Alright, Alright," he said. "It's just you're so deliciously pink," 

"Is that arousing to you?" she asked incredulously.

"Everything about your body is arousing to me," he purred into her neck. 

Shepard turned off the water, turning towards Garrus and giving him one last kiss before getting dressed. "Whoa there, tiger,"

"What the hell is a tiger?" he replied.

"I'll tell you later," she climber out of the shower and went to towel off, offering Garrus one as well. He shook off in the shower first, and then wrapped the towel around his lower half. Shepard walked into her closet as Garrus walked towards the dresser. While the two had only been dating for a couple weeks, it was clear that both of them were interested in a long-term arrangement, and were completely logical about leaving clothes in the other's quarters, especially after Joker made a big deal of Garrus's "walk-of-shames" about a week in. Not that they were hiding anything from the crew, they just wanted to be private with their romance. 

"Hey, Shepard!" he called after he got dressed and headed back to the bathroom to brush his teeth, "Did you move my toothbrush?" 

"Oh! I threw it away and got a new pack," she replied, walking out of her closet. She pulled out the pack from a drawer and handed it to Garrus. "The other one looked a little worse for wear," 

It's true that Garrus was a little hard on his toothbrushes. Turian toothbrushes are usually made of stronger material, but they only had human toothbrushes on the Normandy. 

"Also, you don't always have to call me by my last name," she replied, walking out of her quarters and into the hallway. 

_Oh shit._


	2. Like "Madonna"?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus tries to get help from his crew mates to figure out Shepard's first name.

"How do human names work?" Garrus asked, sidling up to Joker.

"What do you mean?" he replied, confused.

"Like, my first name is Garrus, and my last name is Vakarian. Do human names work like that?" 

"Well, it depends on what part of Earth your family's from. Some people have their family name first, and then their given name,"

"Oh.." that didn't really help Garrus's predicament at all. "So is Joker your family name or your given name?" 

"Neither. My given name is Jeff and my family name is Moreau. Joker is my nickname,"

"What the hell is a nickname?" Garrus was getting nowhere with this.

"It's a name someone else gives you. Like Archangel,"

"Oh! I understand now. So Shepard is a family name, right? Then what's her first name?"

Joker laughed at this question, "Why the hell would you want to call Shepard by her first name? Last time I did she punched me,"

"Nevermind," Garrus said, walking away before Joker could put the pieces together.

 

"Wrex, do you have a minute?" Garrus asked, making sure to give his Krogan teammate a wide berth. "Do you happen to know what Shepard's given name is?" 

"I always thought that was her given name. Someone told me that it's synonymous with leader,"

"Well, Jeff told me that Shepard was her family name. I mean, Joker,"

"Why did you think I would know? We met Shepard on the same day,"

"Thanks for your help Wrex," Garrus replied, with a sigh.

 

There was only one resource left: Shepard's mother. 

Garrus had only spoke with her once. Captain Shepard was nice enough; he video called her a couple weeks ago, when their relationship just started. He wanted to ask her permission, Shepard still has no idea. Captain Shepard only made sure that Garrus was honestly serious about her daughter, asking about his familial background and priorities. Once it was evident that Garrus would clearly die for Shepard and her happiness, she was satisfied. 

"Captain Shepard," he said with a salute as her hologram appeared.

"Garrus," she said with a chuckle, "how's my favorite Turian?"

"Great, it's just I have a few questions. Due to a lack of attention on my part, of course," Garrus said, ducking his head. 

"What do you mean?" the captain asked with a puzzled look. 

"I-I don't know your daughter's first name..." he said as he turned his head and rubbed the back of his fringe. 

"Oh! Garrus, I'm surprised you haven't heard it yet! I know how how Mr. Moreau likes to brandish it around like a knife," she said with a chuckle. 

"Yeah, he told me that the last time that happened she punched him," he said, laughing. "I was too embarrassed to admit it to him,"

"Well you came to the right place, I'm the one who gave it to her," she said with a smile, "It's Willow Ann Shepard," 

"She has three names?!" Garrus said in disbelief. 

"I forgot you Turians only have two. Most humans keep their middle names private. Her father and I call her Willow Ann, her friends growing up called her Will, other people call her Willow. I would call her Willow first, and then ask what she prefers," 

"Thank you so much, Captain Shepard," he said, with a relieved look.

"By the way, you can call me Hannah," she said with a wink as her hologram disappeared.


	3. My Willow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the loss of Mordin, Shepard needs some comfort.

Shepard had made the decision to cure the genophage. Wrex had stayed on Tuchanka to attempt to lead the Krogans and assist with the breeding processes. With no doubt, different clan leaders will be grappling for claim over the females. Shepard and Garrus headed to their quarters; it was actually her's, but Garrus spent more time in there than his own. She was his best friend, so he attempted to spend as much time with her as possible. Garrus felt like this night would be different than the others, Shepard seemed to need some space. He intended to walk her to her room, congratulate her, and head back to his quarters.

Shepard opened her door and sat down on the edge of the bed, but Garrus could tell something was wrong. Immediately, her face started turning red and she made quiet little noises.

"Shepard? Is everything alright?" He stopped in the doorway, not sure what to do, "Do you need some space?" She continued to make those noises and buried her face in her hands. She choked out the words to Garrus.

"Please stay," Garrus was still confused, until he realized that he saw this in a vid once. This is what crying looked like. He sat down next to her, allowing her to lean her head against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, undoing her bun and letting her hair fall.

"What's wrong, my angel?" She tried to stifle her crying, wiping her nose. This wasn't the most attractive thing Garrus has seen her do, but he was well aware there was more to Shepard than her beauty.

"Mordin," she said through gasps. Garrus hadn't considered how close their friendship was. He wondered if she was like this after every loss; they hadn't lost anyone since they grew close. Garrus helped her remove her armor, shower, and slipped her into a t- shirt, sitting her down on the toilet lid.

"Do you want me to lay down with you, Willow?" He asked, looking down into her eyes.

"Yes," she said weakly. He pulled back the covers of her bed, arranging her pillows how he knew she liked them. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He undressed the rest of the way, laying down next to her. She quickly moved to cover the distance between them, Garrus accommodating for her. He picked her up and let her rest her head on his chest, rubbing her back.

"Let it all out, sweetheart," She continued to whimper into him. Shepard cried for most of the night, Garrus kissing her forehead and humming to her (Well, at least he was attempting to kiss her forehead. Most of their kisses only qualified as a kiss because of Shepard's lips.) "My sweet, sweet Willow," Garrus purred into her ear. This is one of the few times that Garrus was in Shepard's bed when no sexual activity was involved. But this was more important than that. He was trying his best to be what she needed at the moment, and this time it was a comforter.

"Thank you, Garrus," she said, looking up at him for the first time in hours. Her eyes were read and swollen, alarming Garrus.

"Do we need to take you to see Dr. Chakwas?" He asked, "Your eyes are swollen,"

"Oh, that's perfectly normal," Shepard replied, rubbing them.

"Are you ready to go to sleep? Or are you too tired?" He asked, kissing her forehead.

"No. Usually I can't sleep after I cry,"

"Does this happen often?" Garrus was troubled by how vulnerable she looked in this moment.

"Humans tend to cry when we're sad or stressed. Some cry more than others. I tend to be very emotional sometimes, but I'm good at hiding it around people I don't trust," She looked away from Garrus, embarrassed, "I'm sorry that you had to see me like this,"

Garrus was appalled that she would see this as a burden to him. "No! I'm glad that you were comfortable enough to share this with me, even if I don't understand it," He replied, with a slight chuckle. "We do have something similar to crying, but it's not as extreme. We do have tears, but our colors don't change and we don't have the whole mucus thing,"

"Oh, so you're pretty criers, then,"

"Well, I don't think you could ever be ugly," Garrus said, lowering a kiss onto her lips. Shepard seemed to push back, but not as strong as usual. This kiss was purely for comfort. "Do you want to watch old vids on the couch?" Shepard nodded, as Garrus picked her up and carried her to the couch.

He assumed that she needed all the physical contact she could get. He grabbed a blanket and picked her up again, cuddling chest to chest. He found an old human sitcom, _How I Met Your Mother,_ one he knew she enjoyed. The plot was very misleading and shallow, but he found learning about past humans interesting. Not much has changed in their behavior. 

Garrus continued to rub Shepard's back, feeling her heartbeat against his. He loved it when she would laugh, rocking both of their bodies. Halfway through the second episode, Shepard began to snore.

_My little Willow._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Garrus try to destress before the final mission.

_She was so beautiful_

Willow was a thing to behold in her training gear. Her curly hair tied up in a bun, her green eyes sparkling against the artificial lighting of the Normandy. What he would do to see her under real sunlight. And preferably less clothing. Not that her spandex and- chest covering? weren't revealing enough. She wore elbow and knee pads, along with wrapping her knuckles with some sort of tape. Willow preferred to spar barefoot. Garrus obliged, only wearing shorts. He had become comfortable with the crew seeing his slightly differing anatomy by now. And the training room was empty most of the time.

She was damp with sweat and flushed, her hair coming out of her bun. It always marveled Garrus how malleable humans were. Willow was sparring with him, so that meant she used a little bit extra padding than usual. It's not the best idea to break any bones while beating on your Turian boyfriend. While both were equal in speed, Willow was much more flexible, making it easier for her to dodge attacks, but Garrus could always seem to reach her anyways. They both agreed to avoid vital organs, mainly after Garrus accidentally gave her a black eye. He had aimed to put a kick to her shoulder, but didn't accommodate for his spurs. There was some crying after that. From Garrus. 

Garrus was perfectly aware that Willow was tough, being an N7 commander and all, but he never wanted to actually hurt her. He would face a whole squadron of reapers before causing her pain again. 

They had been sparring for about an hour. Willow caught Garrus off guard, sweeping his legs from out from under him. Thank Spirits for soft mats. She straddled Garrus, landing a soft punch to his shoulder. "Had enough, Vakarian?" Willow asked with a wink.

"I'll never get enough of you, Shepard" he purred with a grin, placing his hands on her hips. While Garrus had become accustomed to her first name, he still referred to her as Shepard outside of their rooms. She was technically his boss, after all.

"Oh!" Willow replied with a giggle and some surprise, "Then you won't mind joining me in our quarters?" While the room was empty, it wasn't quite appropriate for these... activities. The Normandy was on shore leave for a bit before what they believed would be their final mission. Might as well enjoy it.

Willow had to explain to Garrus that not all forms of affection are appropriate in front of others. There had been many times that Garrus would walk up behind Willow and give her a light nip on the neck and a quick squeeze of her breast. This had also been in front of Joker. He had a field day.

Willow later had a talk with Garrus and he explained that anything short of copulation is appropriate in his culture, and that he would make an effort to refrain. This also started a conversation about Garrus's family. Palaven was quickly deteriorating, and Garrus couldn't come in contact with his parents and his sister. This put him on edge, but Willow was trying her best to distract him.

She made her best effort to show him affection as often as possible, holding his hand or kissing him on the mandible whenever appropriate in front of others. Some days, even that didn't distract him. Not that she used sex as a weapon; it was also very welcome on her part. 

Garrus and Willow entered the quarters that they have started to refer to as theirs. It was really Willow's, but it began to make no sense for them to not share it when they went to bed and woke up together so often. Garrus began to strip down, fully eager to have this unplanned surprise. 

Willow stripped down as well, and Garrus interrupted her. "What's that thing anyways?" he said gesturing towards her chest, "That garment. What is it for? I see you wearing it often, especially under your clothes. Obviously it's not for absorption, like your pads, because you don't secrete anything from your chest," 

Garrus and Willow had a one-hundred-percent honesty policy when it came to things that were foreign to the other's species. The pad conversation was an interesting one. 

"It's to hold my breasts in place," she replied, "Try to move my breasts,"

Garrus took a light hold of one of her breasts, moving it softly, it resisting slightly. Willow pulled her bra off and invited Garrus to try again. They were much easier to move. Willow then handed the bra to Garrus while she continued to strip.

"Wow. Another mystery of breasts revealed," he replied with a chuckle, stretching the fabric and lying back on the bed, "How is this different from your other bras?"

"My other bras are purely for support and cosmetic function, while that bra is to avoid tissue tearing while I run or move,"

It's true that much of their bodily exploration was from curiosity, not just sexual experience. They strived for a relationship of understanding. 

After Willow stripped off her thong, she climbed into bed next to Garrus, pressing light kisses to his mandibles and "lips". All thoughts of scientific exploration were gone from Garrus's mind. His mind was flooded with Willow, and how soft her body was beneath his talons. Garrus wanted to savor this encounter with Willow; it may be one of the last. 

Garrus slowly rolled on top of Willow, being careful not to put his weight on the female who was a total of almost two feet shorter than him. he slowly traveled down her chest, rolling his talons over her nipples as they began to harden. Willow moaned slightly, arching her back. He ran a rough tongue over them, taking his sweet time, giving Willow the patience she deserved. "Is this okay, my angel?" he asked, returning to his work.

"It's more than okay," 

Garrus watched her turn a lovely shade of pink, especially on her chest and cheeks. Willow had a beautiful smattering of freckles on her face and chest, that seemed to thin out over the rest of her body. Everything about her was breathtaking to Garrus. 

He began to travel down to her labia, and she lightly stroked his fringe. Willow was usually shaven, not that Garrus had an opinion about pubic hair. She told him she preferred it this way; made her feel cleaner. Garrus was surprised when he noticed her freckles appeared here, too.

Garrus let one long, soft lick in between her lips. Willow gasped and pressed harder into his face. "You taste as wonderful as you look," he purred, looking up at Willow. She also seemed to like it when he used subharmonics with his tongue as well. She tasted sweet but mixed with her salty sweat from training. Not a bad taste. Garrus reminded himself that he took his allergy pill this morning, and slipped his long, rough tongue into her hole. Willow appeared to buck against him again, looking down at him with adoring eyes. Her moaning increased when he used the pad of a talon to rub against her most sensitive part. 

Willow began moaning for Garrus, "Love, please, please," When she was most incoherent and pink, Garrus stopped placing a kiss on her lips. He would do anything to please his angel. 

"What is it you want, sweetheart?" he asked, grazing her breasts once more.

"You," she replied, hooking her legs around his waist, as if they were meant to be there from the beginning. Garrus became unsheathed long ago by Willow's soft moans and pleas. 

"As you wish," he replied, lining himself up and taking a soft bite of Willow's neck. He slowly slid into her, letting her accommodate for his size, listening to her groans to see if she was comfortable. They all seemed pleasurable, so he looked into Willow's eyes and slowly began to rock back and forth, going as deep as he could in order to make Willow moan with happiness. Her eyes appeared to flutter with each thrust and she placed a hand on the side of Garrus's face. Then she grabbed the bedsheets tightly. Garrus sped up, attempting to count as many freckles on Willow's shoulder as possible before he finished. He always loved a good challenge, and he wanted to hold back until Willow was done. 

Garrus counted a solid 82 before Willow began to buck harder against him. "Are you close, beloved?" he asked, looking into Willow's eyes. They were glazed over, and her moans were coming faster and louder.

"Mhm," she replied through tight lips, attempting to restrain herself.

"Go ahead, angel, I'll speed up for you," Garrus attempted to thrust harder into her, speeding up his tempo. Garrus was getting closer and closer to the edge. He quickly felt her tightening against him, her fingers attempting to gain purchase on his back. Garrus allowed himself to finish when he felt the first of her shudders.

He held her as she finished; he learned that her orgasms were much longer than his. He didn't know if this was unusual or not in her species, he had only had a turian before her, and it ended just as quickly as it began. Willow, on the other hand, was a treasure to be beheld. Not that the other had been disappointing, it had just been a quick fumbling that was the result of stress and sexual tension. Garrus had no real feelings for the other, but Willow... Sometimes he knew Willow would be the only one that mattered. 

Garrus slid out of Willow and laid next to her. "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever beheld," he whispered, attempting to make a constellation out of her freckles with his finger. 

"You aren't bad yourself," replied Willow, with a wink, seeming to have regained her strength, "Ready for round two?"

_She will be the death of me._


	5. Seashells and Salarians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard chooses the destroy ending.

Shepard felt no pain. She was lying face down, the warm sun beating down on her. She could feel sand under her, and hear someone humming. 

_Why does this sound so familiar?_

Quickly she realized. 

"Hello, Commander. Must be unconscious. Probably head wound,"

Shepard sat up and turned to see and elderly Salarian sitting in the sand in bright red swimming trunks, fiddling with a purple seashell.

"Mordin?! Why am I here? Why are you here?"

"You know why, Commander," Mordin gave Shepard a knowing look, reaching for another shell.

Shepard attempted to find her last memory. She had used the crucible in order to destroy the reapers. Shepard had fallen from the explosion, and felt a stabbing pain in her stomach before everything went black. 

"Oh, Mordin," she cried, hugging the scientist.

"Still soft, Commander," he strained. Shepard let go. She forgot how frail he was sometimes. His tough exterior was misleading sometimes. His eyes seemed to be brighter than they were on Tuchanka. There was a jungle behind them, and an ocean in front of them. The view was incredible, almost unbelievable. 

Mordin went back to his collecting "Seen many soldiers today. Feared I'd see you too. Nice to see you, though," he gave Shepard another smile, "Never had the chance to procreate. Dedicated to science. Would want them to be like you, though," he finished. 

Shepard was taken aback. She never knew that Mordin thought so highly of her. 

"Thank you, Mordin. I've missed you," Shepard started to tear up. 

"Missed you too. Work was rewarding. Now able to indulge in personal projects. Not sure how this place works. Different people see different things. Some go into the water and don't come back. Others walk into the jungle. I think the ocean represents returning. Jungle, moving on. I'm content on beach," he paused in his collecting, looking up as if thinking, "might enter woods once my work is done,"

"Mordin," Shepard asked, "do you regret your decision?"

"No. Comes to mind a lot. Was the right thing. Helped with reapers," he was as analytical as ever. "Did you make the right decision?"

Shepard pondered this for a moment. "I wish there was another way. But I took the right one," Shepard thought of those she left behind.

Joker

Wrex

Tali

_Garrus._

"Mordin. What did you say about the water?"

His speech seemed to kick into overdrive. "Water seems to be the way back. Few take it. Viable option. You aren't done yet. I recommend it," Mordin helped Shepard up and started leading her towards the water, gesturing as if excited. "Garrus will be waiting, left reproductive file on Normandy. Final gift, might come in handy," 

Shepard stood on the edge, looking into the water, wondering if it would work. She couldn't see the bottom of it, even close to the shore.

"I will be waiting, Willow," 

Mordin pushed her into the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Shepard and Mordin's reconciliation to be simple and short, much like his personality. I also have a personal headcannon that Mordin is very paternal towards her. He's finally at peace, and enjoys his job as greeter to those lost in the war.


	6. Hello Again

Garrus hadn't slept in nights.

He had pulled her from the rubble, broken and cut, and carried her to the nearest triage center. Her left leg was crushed and she had a gash in the side of her head. Garrus felt himself begin to panic, but he kept it together until the doctors assured him she was stable. They ran back and forth, calling her Commander Shepard. She wasn't Shepard anymore. She was his Willow. His angel. While the Normandy's work was done, they still had more to do.

He ended up falling to his knees in the hospital room once he was sure no one was there to watch. He clung to her, begging to whatever gods were true of all the races of the galaxy to bring her back to him. His angel. He was reminded of holding her as she wept for Mordin. This was the first time that he cried as she had, loud and unsightly, seeming to be unending. Hannah had shown up a day later, ordering the doctors and nurses around, providing company for Garrus, holding his hand as more and more bad news was told. She saw the state he was in. If it was possible for a Turian to be a mess, Garrus was the definition. She led him back to her apartment for a shower, fed him a hot meal that was suited to his diet. They then returned to the hospital, to await Willow's return.

The doctors informed them that it might take weeks for her to wake up, if not longer. Her leg had to be amputated at the knee, and her arm was broken. That wouldn't take long to heal with excessive amounts of medigel; it was her brain they were most worried about. It was ironic. Willow's wonderful, brilliant brain was her downfall. They also informed him that at one point she had technically died from blood loss. She had died saving the galaxy, and he felt like it didn't give two shits. 

That was before the flowers began to come. There were at least a dozen new baskets each day, from Sur'Kesh, Earth, Thessia, and further. Garrus had nothing to do other than to greet others that had come to see Willow, to turn away others who weren't there for her, but for her name. Tali and Joker had been by. They cried over Shepard as Garrus had, bargaining with the powers that be. Now was his turn to comfort. After a day, they returned to their lives, their families. Captain Anderson had visited, hobbling over to her bedside with his new cane, saluting her. He thanked Garrus for his service to humanity and left, leaving behind a replica of the normandy. Anderson told Garrus it was to make her feel at home. 

Garrus requested that they bring a cot in so that he could sleep next to her. That went on for about a week, until a wealthy benefactor had heard of Willow's heroism, and donated an extra large hospital bed for the two of them. Garrus informed the staff that he didn't want to treat the hospital as a hotel, but they insisted that he make himself as comfortable as possible. He was, after all, a member of Commander Shepard's team. 

He began to memorize all the staff by name, order the flowers by origin and name, and tried to become more acquainted with this small section of Earth, only leaving Shepard for an hour at a time. He wanted to be there when she woke up. When he ran out of coffee shops that were Turian friendly and book stores to visit, he began to write.

He wrote how he felt when he first met Willow; intimidated and small, not knowing how such a soft species could be so determined and strong. Garrus had admired her from afar, taking in the way her fingers flexed after pulling the trigger and how she always stretched her back after the last enemy was defeated, as if she had just partook in a silly training exercise. He adored her in every way. Even the curl of her hair had hypnotized him, as if the complexity of her thoughts were manifesting in winding rivers of red. And her constellation skin. Garrus lost himself in the dusting of freckles over her cheeks and shoulders.

When Willow first propositioned him, he had only known her as Shepard. Steady and true. The thought that this wonderful creature would dare to settle for someone not of her own species was astonishing. He had thought back to his previous romantic experience, wanting this to be the opposite. Savory and special. He wanted to treat her as she deserved to be. Willow was a queen, a fearsome warrior, but she was also a beauty, soft yet fierce. 

They had grown closer, sharing more than just a bed. She had told him of her first sexual encounter, fumbling with a foolhardy boy in her bed while hoping her parents didn't come home early. It had been unpleasant and quick; the boy was selfish. Willow had passed him a few times after that on the station; he hadn't batted an eye. There had only been a couple before Garrus, as she didn't want to build a reputation while climbing the Alliance ranks. 

Her father had died in battle when she was 20. She didn't want to talk about it very much. His name was William. She was named after him. Growing up, she had buck teeth and pigtails, growing fast only to be surpassed by her peers eventually. Garrus had only seen a few human children, he passed by a playcenter in London, wondering if Willow had been this happy once. They played and sang, seemingly unaffected by the war that happened only a month before. Humans rebuilt fast. 

Garrus even wrote about what he thought it would be like to have a child with her. Would it look like either of them, or have a mixture of both their anatomies? Maybe it would speak in subharmonics, or speak English like its mother. Would they even be able to have a biological offspring? Or would it be one of the orphans of the war?

Garrus laid down with Willow after documenting these thoughts, taking care not to touch or move her injuries. Instead, he faced her, imagining that she was merely sleeping after a particularly difficult mission. He remembered her laugh, sounding like the wind-chimes she kept in her quarters by the door so she could listen for intruders. Garrus missed her eyes as well, deep green and unnerving. He stroked her face, falling asleep as he thought of her. 

"Garrus? Why can't I feel my leg?" Garrus opened his eyes to find the woman he loved, alert and panicking in his arms. 

 


	7. Healing

Garrus was shocked. Here she was, laying next to him after three weeks of being unconscious. He kissed her over and over, relishing in her smell and the feel of her skin. He began to cry against her, thanking the spirits for returning her to him.

"So you _are_ an ugly crier?" she asked chuckling into his neck. He was surprised she wasn't more panicked about her missing leg. He wiped his tears and gave her a smile.

"I'm so glad you're back, Willow. I thought I lost you," he hugged her closer to his chest.

"How long was I out?"

"About three weeks,"

"Oh my god. How bad is it?"

"I'll let the nurses explain it to you. In the meantime, I'll be right here," he stroked her hair, nuzzling her forehead. "Nothing can beat Commander Shepard," he said with a wink. 

Garrus pressed the call button, and attempted to separate himself from Willow a bit to look more appropriate. The doctor explained how Willow had her lower leg removed, but they've designed a prosthetic for her to use that should work exactly like her old leg. Her head wound was almost healed; it would just be another scar in her large collection. They were going to give her another MRI to make sure her brain is functioning as efficiently as possible. Her arm was healed, but she would have to do physical therapy every day to bring it up to speed. At one point she started to tear up, but they quickly subsided when they reassured her she would return to her previous physical ability. They showed her the prosthetic, which was perfectly matched to her other leg. The doctors showed her how it communicated to her cybernetic implants. It was hard for her to get the hang of it, to actually attempt to "move her leg".

Garrus continued to sleep next to her, keeping her company in-between visits. Her mom had stayed for a couple days before she had other business to attend to. 

"It's finally over, Willow. I've never been prepared for the day when I'd have to stop fighting," He rubbed her back, whispering in her ear. 

"It's hard for me to plan the next move," she replied, with a frustrated look on her face.

"Maybe there doesn't need to be a next move," Garrus said, sitting up in bed. "Maybe we can just go where the universe leads us. We could settle down, we both have enough street credit to do whatever we want. Well, that is, if you still want to be a one-Turian kind of woman?" Garrus ducked his head like a dog that was expecting a beating.

"Of course I do! Garrus, how would that even be an option?" She asked, shocked, grabbing his face with her hands.

"I didn't know if your feelings had changed now that the war was over or not. Do you still want to be with me?"

"Absolutely, you dense Turian! Did you think I was just keeping you around for fun? You are my best friend," She started to cry, two droplets racing down her face. Garrus held up a finger and caught one of them, wiping her face. Willow almost seemed mad at him.

"I would never accuse you of that. I just wanted to give you a chance to change your mind if you wanted,"

"Garrus, if you ever give me the chance to change my mind again, I'm mounting your head in the Normandy," she said with a chuckle, wrapping her arms around his middle. "There's no Shepard without Vakarian,"

"And there's no Garrus without Willow," He held her tight and kissed her temple. "Where would we live? I don't know about you, but I'd like to be on shore leave for quite a while," he had a second thought, "as long as you feel the same way,"

"Let's stay on Earth for a little bit. I haven't gotten to see much of my own planet, growing up on the station and all," She looked up towards the ceiling. "I've always wanted to visit the mountains. Or the coast. What about Hawaii? I know how Turians hate the cold," 

While Willow worked on her physical therapy, Garrus searched the net for a house. He didn't much, just a couple rooms and some bathrooms, but he wanted to make it perfect for Willow. He thought that Willow would enjoy a beach view. The islands were mostly untouched by the Reapers. He found a bungalow on the shore on Oahu, and told Willow she wasn't allowed to see it until they arrive there. He told her that she needed something to look forward to after her therapy. 

They were going to begin the next mission on this adventure. 

 


End file.
